School bus safety is a pressing issue, and the transportation staff of Vicksburg Warren School District is spreading the word this week.
Robert Bass, director of transportation, said there are major issues with traffic when it comes to following procedure and stopping when a school bus does.
“That’s our biggest concern. Motorists will not stop for a school bus that has its arm extended,” he said.
The transportation department, 1001 Mississippi 27, will share that message with parents and community members during the  National School Bus Safety Week Luncheon from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday. The theme this year is “At my stop, you stop!”
Bass’ goal is to get the students to and from school as safely as possible, and motorists make that job more difficult, he said.
“I think they’re preoccupied. Most of them are on cellphones. That’s the main distraction,” Bass said.
The school buses have an arm that extends with a stop sign and flashing lights to warn drivers that a student is getting on or off the bus.
“It is very visible,” he said.
Brenda Brown, a school bus driver for 25 years, said many motorists are not paying attention.
“They use the excuse of the school times changing, but that has nothing to do with it. The stop sign should be enough,” she said.
Bass said he wants the public to be more aware of school buses and understand how important it is for traffic to stop.
“We’re carrying the most precious of cargo, and parents trust us,” he said.
The school district cannot provide safe transportation without the public’s help, Bass said.
Brown said she had a frightening experience where a motorist did not follow procedure and almost hit one of her students trying to board the bus. She was picking up a student on U.S. 80, and someone had just stolen a car and was leading police on a high-speed chase.
“He was going to go around me. By the time I noticed what he was doing, I told the student to stop and not cross the street,” Brown said.
The student followed her directions and was not injured.
“You have to be able to watch behind you and in front at all times,” Brown said.
Bass said he would like to increase the safety of students who are loading and unloading by increasing law enforcement involvement and holding motorists responsible for failing to stop.
“We have had the police department in certain areas, but they can’t always concentrate on the buses,” he said. “If we call in support, they will come on if people are running the stop sign.”
Safety is not just reliant on motorists. School buses have safety precautions of their own. Some safety features include a crossing arm that extends outward from the bus when it stops so students must cross far in front of the bus.
“This makes them more visible to the driver,” Bass said.
There are also high padded seats, and in case there is an accident, students will have that extra cushion.
Seat belts on buses are being examined.
“Seatbelts are a controversial issue right now. I think most districts are looking at the pros and cons,” Bass said.
The mechanical staff on hand for to repair school buses is phenomenal, Bass said.
“Our mechanics do an awesome job. If there is any question about any one of our busses, our foreman will not let that bus leave here,” he said.
If that means taking a different bus, they will. Right now they are short on bus drivers, so having spare buses is not an issue.
“That’s in any district I think,” Bass said.
The school district has roughly 97 bus drivers right now and needs at least 10 more, Bass said.
“Some of our drivers are doubling routes. We have office staff driving, the foreman driving — we do what we have to do to get the job done,” he said.
Bass said even he drives when he needs to, which is pretty much every day. He began as a bus driver in 1979 and took his current position July 1.
In her 25 years as school bus driver, Brown said, she’s noticed significant changes in the behavior of motorists and parents.
“When I first started, (motorists) were good, and now they don’t stop,” she said.
Brown said she wants to see more parents aware of their children loading and unloading from school buses.
“In my morning route I have eight parents standing with their children. I pick up 20 students,” she said.
Twenty-five years ago, she said, a parent was there at every stop. From her point of view, she said, it’s a good thing for parents to be there.
“Sometimes the children like to play and aren’t paying attention. By the parent being there, I feel better,” she said.
Bass said he’d like to see more of those parents along the route and more community involvement.
“What I’d like to achieve is a good working relationship with parents and the public,” he said.
He said he wants everyone to understand his viewpoint.
“Right now we have a good working relationship with all the principals at all the schools. Everyone is on board with safety being the number one priority,” he said.
Brown said she wants everyone in the community to know how important being a bus driver is.
“We’re transporting the future 180 days of the year. Safety is our priority. Be looking for the flashing lights,” she said.